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www.spec.com.au OBSERVER SPORT Portland Colts the team to beat JASON BARBIN IN a David and Goliath type battle, Portland Colts will take on South Portland at Henty Park in the Portland and District Cricket Association A grade semi-final this weekend. The first-placed Colts tackle fourth-placed South, which scraped into the finals after winning its final two games of the season. Colts has been the dominant team all season, but the side knows finals time brings its own pressures. Last year Colts went through the home and away season undefeated, but was then bundled out in the semi by South. Captain Daniel Kinghorn praised his top order for getting the side off to good starts consistently. “Our top order, perhaps our first three or four, have been very good this year,” Kinghorn said. Colts has mainly focused on maintaining partnerships and not losing clumps of wickets. Kinghorn noted that the depth of batting has also been a shining light for Colts when the top order has failed. “They’re very important obviously (top order), but if they don’t fire on the day I think we’ve got the depth and the guys further down the order that can stick around and get a good score themselves.” One player who will look to get the Colts off to a good start is Alister Stannard, Kinghorn stating that he is an important member of the team. “He can set the tone early and put the bowlers under pressure. It gives us a lot of confidence sitting on the sidelines. He’s a vital cog for us.” Kinghorn’s opposite number, South captain Andrew Payne, said that Colts is one of the top teams in the competition. “We know what we’re up against and we know how good Colts are. All of them can bat and bowl and field very well and hence why they’re on top of the ladder,” Payne said. South is coming into the finals on a two-game winning streak and Payne said the improvement in the second half of the season can be put down to having a more settled side and the belief that they can match it with the best. Payne also said that, like Colts, South’s strength lies in its depth. “We don’t rely on one batter or bowler to dominate. “We’ve got a batting line-up that bats quite deep and a bowling line-up where I can throw the ball to five or six blokes. “I think our strength is that on any given day, our batting or bowling team can put together a win.” On the bowling front, Kinghorn stated his bowling attack will be vital in getting Colts off to a good start. “Dylan Barr’s a key and probably Jay Moody as well. If he can ruffle a few feathers and maybe snick one or two out and get us off to a really good start, that goes a long way to keeping them down to a really gettable total.” For South, Troy Warburton will once again headline an improving bowling attack, Payne saying his finals experience will be a vital factor. “The experience that he will bring to the team is invaluable. When he’s got the ball in his hands we know that experience will come through.” With the Henty Park turf looking like a good batting wicket, Kinghorn said the ultimate key to winning the game will be doing the basic things right. “It’s not rocket science, it’s just trying to do the basic things right and hopefully we come out on top.” Play begins at 1pm both tomorrow and Sunday. Tyrendarra and Tigers clash at Cavalier LIAM O’CALLAGHAN AFTER a dress rehearsal in the final round of the regular season Tyrendarra and Portland Tigers will come together again in this weekend’s Portland and District Cricket Association A grade semifinal at Cavalier Park. In a strange coincidence the second-placed Tyrendarra played and defeated the third-placed Portland Tigers last weekend. This week the Tigers will hope to reverse the result. Tyrendarra will not let that happen easily though. Speaking to the Portland Observer Tyrendarra captain Cameron Mather says regardless of last week’s win, this week is a whole different story. “It’s a good confidence boost for us but you still have to turn up on and everything has to go right. It’s a completely different game so we’ve just got take it in our stride and do the best we can,” Mather said. Last week was a low scoring affair with Portland only making 68 in the first innings and Tyrendarra taking a comfortable first innings victory with a score of 144. Portland Tigers will turn to Bradley Falcone, Josh Atwell and Paul Young to shoulder most of the bowling as they have for most of the year. They only managed five wickets between them last game so will be looking for a stronger performance. Mather says that he is expecting a different looking scoreboard this week. “You will find there will be a lot higher scores with the pitch (at Cavalier Park). You are a lot more confident with batting on the South pitch than you are on the Hanlon Park pitch. So I think there will be high scores for both sides.” Two of the players from Tyrendarra that will more than likely be adding to those high scores are youngsters Jason Pitt and Jordi Withers. The two are coming off a 205-run opening partnership in the junior grand final last week. Though it is a step up in the seniors the form and finals experience will be invaluable for the two and Mather thinks they will carry over their form. “They’ve really come along this year, I think they will both take the opportunities when they arise, especially Jason, he has been bowling really well, he has been a bit unlucky with a sore shoulder. Jordi has really come along with his batting and wicket keeping.” As for the rest of the team Mather thinks that their form during the regular season will be a good indicator of what will happen this weekend. “I think the whole side has contributed evenly across the season, some have had better seasons than others but if everyone plays their part then hopefully we will get across the line.” PORTLAND Colts captain Daniel Kinghorn will be a key player with both bat and ball in this weekend’s semi-final. Colts aims to maintain B grade domination PORTLAND Colts will be out to qualify for its 12th successive grand final appearance when the Portland and District Cricket Association B grade semi-finals are played this weekend. Tomorrow and Sunday Colts will take on Tyrendarra at Henty Park. With nine premierships from the past 11 seasons, it would be easy to suggest that Colts will roll through for yet another flag after again finishing on top, but in reality Colts has not been as dominant this season. On statistics alone it appears that captain Ash Elijah is crucial to side’s batting fortunes. Yet again he is averaging more than 50 for the season. Perhaps Colts’ strength this year is its bowling, with Tony Hollis, Syd Ray, Jamie Ferguson, Dylan Barr and Marcus Bunney having all taken 12 or more wickets. Tyrendarra veteran Brian Gull is a crucial player to this match, having scored more runs and taken more wickets than any of his teammates. Importantly Gull has kept a couple of his best performances for Colts, having scored 82 in round one and 69 in round 11. A crucial selection will be whether young gun Jordi Withers – fresh from a century in the junior grand final – finds himself in the A grade or B grade side this weekend. · The other B grade semi-final sees South Portland taking on Portland Tigers at Hanlon Park. The Demons have a gun bowling attack in Darren Aitken and Adrian Pfeiffer, who have taken 48 wickets between them for the season. The Tigers, on the other hand are powerful with the bat with six players having scored in excess of 150 runs for the year – headed by veterans Ken Baker and Darren Field, and Todd McColl, who have all passed the 200-run mark. Field, McColl and Joel Hollis have been great with the ball, and that might be the difference. Umpires A grade: Colts v South at Henty Park (B. Walder, O. Drinkell), Tyrendarra v Tigers at Cavalier Park (R. Merrett, D. Braham). B grade: Colts v Tyrendarra at Henty Park (L. Oakley, A. Brewster), South v Tigers at Hanlon Park (T. Bunworth, J. Mitchell). Conference championship for Heywood’s Nicola Handreck From: PAGE 36 Even with everything going so well, it is not always easy when you have moved half a world away from your home and family. Fortunately for Handreck she has plenty of support form people in the same situation with six other Australian players on the roster and an ex-patriot as a coach. “That definitely played a huge factor in settling in and having a solid base of support. They understand what it’s like being on the other side of the world from family and friends and they’re always there to pick you up as well as my American teammates. “To be honest, it’s hard to feel home sick with the family-like vibe we have amongst our team, college and community here in Newberry.” National Championships That community will be coming together to cheer on the team again this weekend as they play in the National Championship. Newberry, as winners of their conference, were selected as one of the 64 teams for the tournament and in a twist of fate will be playing Anderson, the team they last beat, in the first round. This gives the team an opportunity to make history as no Newberry team has ever made it past the first round of the tournament. So how is Handreck feeling going into her first round matchup? be forgiven for taking some time off after its conclusion but she has much bigger things in her sights. After hearing of another Australian basketballer being recruited by Malta by his surname, Handreck made some inquiries and discovered if you have a Maltese citizenship you could play for Malta. NICOLA Handreck in action with Newberry. “It’s evident we can beat them and we’re coming into the game really focused and prepared to get to that second round. We’re not only playing to stay alive and make it through to the second Picture: SUPPLIED round but we’re ready to make history too.” Representing Malta After such a busy season Handreck would “My parents and I decided this could be a possible opportunity so we organised my Maltese citizenship and the man who helped us organise it made the MBA (Maltese Basketball Association) aware of who I was.” Since then the MBA has approached Handreck and asked her to represent them at the Games of the Small States of Europe in Iceland in June. With her basketball career taking an even more international turn, Handreck is looking forward to another exciting experience. “It’s going to be amazing going back to my grandparents’ home land, but the experience of European basketball and how different it’s going to be is something I’m looking forward to.” After all her travelling is done Handreck will finally get to make the trip back home to Australia at the end of June; and what will she be looking forward to the most? “I absolutely cannot wait to get home and see all my family and friends again as well as my little doggy Annie.” PORTLAND OBSERVER Friday March 13 2015 35 EMAIL: dean.millard@observer.net.au spec.com.au Picture: OBSERVER FILES